An Active Sex Life Helps Women to Age Better

November 12, 2012

A study has been published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society which shows a link between sexual satisfaction in older women and successful aging. The study looked at 1,200 older women from San Diego. The participants ages ranged from 60 to 89. The author Wesley K. Thompson, an assistant professor of psychiatry with the Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine goes on to say that the older adults who have a well functioning body and good mental health can enjoy a good sex life as they grow older. The study also showed that a majority of people (61%) aged between 80 and 89 years old reported that they had a satisfactory sex life. This rises to 67% for those aged between 60 and 69.

It was identified that the levels of activity varied between the participants in the study but sexual satisfaction and successful aging remained positive for most women. The quality of life and womans age were also contributors to the amount of satisfaction felt. However no association between sexual satisfaction and age could be found. But there was a link between being content with your sex life, at whatever level of activity you enjoy, and your perceived quality of life.

The author acknowledges that “we cannot assess cause and effect from this study; these results suggest that maintaining a high level of sexual satisfaction may positively reinforce other psychological aspects of successful aging”.